Display stand



Oct. 28, 1952 R. J. JOHNSON DISPLAY STAND Filed May 13, 1948 FIGJ FIG.2

INVENTOR RICHARD J. JOHNSON A TTORNEYS Patented Oct. 28, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY STAND Richard J. Johnson, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application'Maylii, 1948, Serial No.26,759

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a display stand, and more particularly to an improved structure for securing display shelves, and to the combination with the improved structure of readily interchangeable theme backgrounds for better displaying merchandise.

Among the objects of this invention are the following features and advantages. A display stand is provided which has "slots in an upright member arranged in connection with adjustable shelf supports in such manner that various thicknesses of shelves may be used and the shelves may be made of difierent materials. For'example, the shelving may be made of wood, metal or glass of different thicknesses and yet the shelving .may be secured, firmly by the support to be described below inasmuchas the adjustable supports may be moved to take up the diiference in thicknesses of the difierent shelves. Also, the shelving may be set at an angle to the support without reducing the security of the assembly in a manner to be described below. In addition to the above features, a-suitable background may be secured to the upright member which holds the shelves whereby the goods to be displayed may be set off to the best advantage asfor example during seasonal displays such as Christmas, Easter, etc.

Other objects and advantages of this invention relate to the details of construction and the arrangement of parts thereof, and will be either pointed out or obvious from the following specifications and claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the display stand having a Christmas tree background provided thereon,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view looking from the right toward Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a partial detailed front elevation view, and

Fig. 4 is a partial section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, a triangular base 5 is provided to which an upright 6 may be secured at its bottom end. The base 5 may be weighted, or wide enough, or both, to properly support the goods to be displayed thereon. In the drawing, the upright 6 is shown as being substantially vertical, however, it is to be understood that the support may be somewhat at an angle away from vertical, if desired, to lend an alternate artistic effect to the display. Furthermore, the base 5 and the upright 6 may be of different shapes than those shown in the drawing and will in each case be adapted for use 7 2 in best displaying the type of goods for which it is "intended.

The present display stand by way of illustration, is shown as comprising three shelves fl secured in transverse slots 8 cut in uprights. Each slot 8 may extend only approximately half-way into the upright 6, as best shown inFi'g. 4. such structure leaves pro er rigidity in the upright 6 and rovides a sufficient depth to the slot '3 to receive a shelf '1 and enough e'nga'g'e'ab'le surface for the shelf to support "it firmly even though it is angled slightlyi'n the "slot as in the case of the intermediate shelf I shown in Figures '1 and 2.

The shelves 7 may be made of any suitable material "such as wood, metal "or glass, and of different thicknesses. In the assembly shown in the drawing the shelves are designated as being made 'of "glass. These shelves are designed to support merchandise such as a vase 8 and a figurine 9, for example. Aswill be readily understood, the differentpieces of merchandise displayed may have different wei'ghts and hence it is desirable that the shelves T be adjustable laterally of the support 6 'so that lighter "objects may be properly placed outwardly from the upright 6 so as to balance the weight o'f heavier articles displayed closer to the upright 6. Also, diiferent thickne's's'esof shelves may be accommodated by adiustable means. As will be made clear below, such adjustments can be convenientl-y obtained in my invention by use'o f adjustable supports in combination with the upright 6 and the slots 8 therein.

The shelves I are secured in the slots 8 by triangular support brackets II] which are frictionall'y engaged with the upright B by means of a bolt II. The bolt ll passes through a hole I2 in the triangular bracket I0 and passes through an oversize hole [3 in the upright 6. A washer l4 and a wing nut l5 complete the bolt assembly.

-When the wing nut I5 is loosened, the bracket I0 can be slipped down and the shelf I inserted into the slot 8. The shelves 1 may be angled for an artistic effect, as is the intermediate shelf in Figs. 1 and 2, and may be slid laterally more or less, as in the lower shelf 1, Fig. 1, to provide a proper support and sufiicient surface for displaying goods. With a shelf 1 in a slot 8, the cooperating bracket [0 may be slid upwardly to firmly engage the lower surface of the shelf, and in that position the wing nut l5 may be tightened again, whereby the friction between the bracket l0 and the upright 6 will retain the assembly in place. Such upward adjustability also will accommodate dilferent thicknesses of shelves,

and beaded or moderately flanged edges. It is to be noted that the shelf can be firmly engaged against the upper surface of the slot 8 when the bracket is pressed snugly against the lower surface of the shelf, and that the engagement is distributed over a substantial area of both the slot 8 and the bracket i9. Due to such large area of engagement, the tendency for shaking loose of a shelf as a result of jarring and bumping is reduced substantially over structures known hitherto.

Referring new again to Figs. 1 and 2, the base 10 has an upwardly extending rear brace 16 which will lend rigidity to the assembly and also provide a surface spaced away from the back of the upright 6. Another block ll having like thickness, may provide a similarly spaced surface at the upper portion of the upright 6. On these two surfaces, a background sheet l8 may be secured such as by pins or tacks 19, for example. As shown in the drawing, the background sheet I8 is of corrugated material and is out out in the shape of a Christmas tree. Such a display will lend a seasonal atmosphere to the merchandise displayed during the Christmas season, and the articles held on the shelves 1 will appear as being held on the Christmas tree. It is to be understood that any desirable background can be used to obtain a proper theme, either seasonal or otherwise, for displaying merchandise at different periods of the year. A stiffener strip 20 may be attached to the block I! at the rear of the background sheet I8 if desired tosupport that portion of sheet I 8 above the upright 6.

While I have explained in detail one particular embodiment of my invention, it is to be clearly understood that other modifications may occur to those skilled in the art. For this reason, I wish not to limit my invention to the specific embodiment shown and described.

What I claim is:

1. A display stand comprising a base, an upright secured at its lower end to said base, said upright having at least one transverse slot therein joining its forward surface, said upright also having below said slot an opening projecting therethrough from front to rear, a shelf of lesser thickness than the distance between the upper and lower horizontal portions of said upright defining said slot, said self projecting forwardly from said upright and having a rear edge portion received within said slot, a bracket located at the forward side of said upright having a top surface extending laterally of said upright below the shelf, a bolt of smaller diameter than said opening passing through said bracket and opening and vertically adjustable relative to said upright and a nut cooperating with said bolt for securing said bracket frictionally into engagement with said upright and shelf after said bracket and bolt have been vertically adjusted on said upright.

2. A display stand comprising a base, an upright secured at its lower end to said base and having at least one substantially horizontal cross slot therein, a shelf of lesser thickness than the distance between the upper and lower horizontal portions of said upright defining said slot, said shelf being received partially within said cross slot, a shelf supporting bracket having one surface adapted to bear against said upright and another surface adapted to bear against the undersideof said shelf, and means mounted on said upright and vertically adjustable relative thereto and relative to said shelf for securing said bracket to said upright and for clamping said shelf in said slot.

RICHARD J. JOHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,246,844 Belcher Nov. 20, 1917 1,324,537 Belcher Dec. 9, 1919 1,396,364 Mayne NOV. 15, 1921 1,577,207 Dieperink Mar. 16, 1926 ,638,048 Irvine Oct. 16, 1928 1,802,245 Foretich Apr. 21, 1931 1,885,268 Kling Nov. 1, 1932 2,368,382 See Jan. 30, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 465,794 Germany Sept. 25, 1928 320,945 Great Britain Oct. 28, 1929 335,579 Italy Feb. 6, 1936 (Corresponding U. S. 2,143,592, Jan. 10, 1939) 209,251 Switzerland Mar. 31, 1940 523,511 Great Britain July 16, 1940 

